Is your pet’s microchip registered? If not, it is useless. Here’s how to register.

As the AKC Companion Animal Recovery Service told me today, “It only works if we have your information so we can find you.”

Our breeder sent Benny to me with a microchip implanted, and she registered it. But my phone number and the person I would want contacted if I couldn’t be reached, had changed in the six years since I got Benny.

One in three pets gets lost
One in three pets will become lost in their lifetime. Sadly, according to the Humane Society, only about 15% of lost dogs and 2% of lost cats ever find their way back home again.

Microchipping and up to date registration of the chip greatly increases the chance that your pet will be found. However, getting the chip implanted isn’t all you need to do!

You also need to REGISTER the chip and add your contact information to the record. I discovered some websites today that allowed me to update Benny’s microchip information file online.

When I updated my information today, I learned that the person who entered my cellphone number had entered the wrong area code! They wouldn’t have been able to reach me if Benny had gotten lost! It’s corrected now, and some of our other information is updated too.

How about you? Is your pet’s microchip information correct and up to date?

Since your pet was microchipped:
– Have you moved or changed phone numbers?
– Is there a new alternate contact person who should be contacted if you can’t be reached?
– Have you changed vets and entered the new vet’s name and phone number?

Universal Microchip Lookup Tool
Go to this universal Microchip Lookup website and make sure your pet’s microchip is registered and then go to the microchip company’s website to make sure that all of your contact information is up to date. To use this tool, you’ll need to know the unique ID number of your pet’s chip. It was given to you on a collar tag and/or a certificate when the chip was implanted.

The Universal Microchip Lookup is a tool created by American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), because microchip manufacturers and pet recovery services use different microchip technology and databases. The Lookup Tool helps veterinary hospitals and animal shelters identify the correct pet recovery registry to contact when a pet is found.

The AKC Companion Animal Recovery service partners with LostMyPet.com It’s amazing how far a pet may travel. LostMyPet.com can automatically send out lost pet notices to shelters, veterinarians, retailers, and other pet owners within a 50 mile radius of the last known location of your pet. The site also stores pictures of your pet so lost pet posters can be printed out quickly.

Microchipping your pet and making sure to keep the information on file up to date will greatly increase the chances that you can be re-united with your pet if he or she ever goes lost. Protect your pet today!

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1 Comment

Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an really long comment but
after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again.
Regardless, just wanted to say excellent blog!